THE ACCIDENT TO THE SHIP NELSON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10626, 15 December 1897, Page 4

THE ACCIDENT TO THE SHIP NELSON.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT. M CAPTAIN'S CERTIFICATE Jf SUSPENDED FOR ONE MONTH, [By telegraph.—press ASSOCIATION.]' Wellington, Tuesday. |||| The inquiry into the striking of the ship;l;fgp Nelson in Cook Straits on November 27, '|3| was continued this afternoon. Captain. % Fiske, of the steamer Pania, said when ha''t saw the Nelson on tho morning of the ac« •|tt cident he did nob think she was inside the line of course laid down for vessels of her size, but he was a bib surprised, .because he *jj| fancied she was nearer land than she really j»| was. f||j Mr. Bell, who appeared for the Customs, .;;fej Department, submitted that the Nelson v&ffi when she struck was within the area o! £§ft danger as laid down by " The Nsw Zealand Pilot." v {fife Mr. Skerrett, who appeared for Captain Perriam, said there could be no suggestion of personal negligence or personal misconduct on the parti of the captain. 'ftf! The decision of the Court was to tha'll® effect that the damage to the Nelson was-© caused by error of judgment on the part ob!, Captain Perriam, the master, in keeping too jf | close to land, in consequence of which tha'f® vessel etruck on some rock or rocks near|S§ Tom's Rock, which error of judgment, in I||§ the opinion of the Court, amounted to ftps " wrongful default " within the meaning of the Shipping and Seamen's Act. The||sS Court therefore suspended the captain's" certificate, for one month and ordered him to,g|| pay the costs of the enquiry, £9 9s. The'l© judgment went on to state that it having come out in the course of this enquiry that] this portion of the New Zealand coast, so 'p much frequented by sailing vessels and: jig steamers, had nob been surveyed since j§| 1852, the Court would respectfully press ' upon the Marine Department the nrgen^.. m necessity for a new survey to detect any, jffjg dangers in the bottom and to locate, as far;. as possible, sunken dangers. . ','s§! Captain Fiske, in his evidence, drewV'Jil attention to the number of dangerous rocks fli lying outside Tom's rock, which would pick' up a vessel drawing '20 feet. It was a very :*® dangerous place, and should be surveyed , again. *S1